A Jewish leader slams U.S. church

A Jewish leader slams U.S. church

Monday, October 22, 2012 | 9:09 pm
AFP / Jaafar ASHTIYEHA Palestinian woman reacts as her home was destroyed by the Israeli authorities in the farming village of Tana, near Nablus, in the area near the Israel military exercise on Sunday (10/1). On that day, Israel displacing about 20 homes in the northern West Bank, after the evacuation of about 40 family members.
WASHINGTON, KOMPAS.com - A letter signed by 15 U.S. Christian church leaders are calling on Congress to reconsider its aid to Israel because of the number of allegations of human rights violations has angered Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders even threatened to derail efforts to establish antarkeyakinan (interfaith relations). So reports the New York Times, Sunday (21/10/2012).
Christian leaders said their intention was to put the plight of the Palestinians and the stalled peace talks back into attention as all eyes, related to Middle East policy, it seems focused on Syria, the Arab Spring and the Iranian nuclear threat. "We're asking Congress to treat Israel like other countries," said the pastor Gradye Parsons, senior American Presbyterian Church. "It (military aid) should not be used continuously to violate the human rights of others."
The Jewish leaders responded by saying that the actions of church leaders was a betrayal. The Jewish leaders were even announced their withdrawal from the Jewish-Christian dialogue is scheduled to be planned for today. They called the letter "a step too far" and indicative of "anti-Zionism a crime that has spread almost uncontrollably in a number of denominations (churches) this".
"Something very damaging," said Ethan Felson, Vice President and General Counsel of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, who helped organize the meeting.
Jewish groups asked U.S. Christian churches to send officials to a summit meeting to discuss the situation. Christian leaders said they were considering the invitation.
U.S. Christian leaders involved in writing a letter to Congress that generally has historically come from the Protestant churches of the mainstream. Many of them have adopted a resolution to divest its shares in companies that sell military equipment and security to Israel.
However, on the other hand, the Israeli government has also received strong support from conservative evangelical churches USA.Sources:New York TimesEditor:Egidius Patnistik
http://internasional.kompas.com/read/2012/10/22/09091666/Pemimpin.Yahudi.Kecam.Sejumlah.Gereja.AS